Suoro Faith
The Pantheon In Suoro there is a lot of leniency on faith and religious practice. The official religion of Suoro is Nusala, but there are many other cults, sects and other foreign religions practiced within the Suoro lands, such as worship of Isham by the Muzina, and several worships for Tirivahni and Speritanian gods. By the Emperor's decree, as long as all citizens of Suoro practice Ablution on the 9th day of every week, they can follow whatever other religious practices they choose - so long as they do not interfere with the peace and harmony of the cities. The Faiths: Nusala: The oldest religion in Suoro and said to be one of the first religions in the world. Nusala is a hierarchaic pantheistic religion, centred around Nusir, the Mother Goddess and the creation myth of how she created the Gods, and thereby the world. Nusala resembles the old pagan faiths in its rich content of myth, fable, extensive artistic works given to depiction and storytelling, and the fluidity of its timeline and the gods' roles. Nusala is a vehicle to provide its citizens needs, whether that be as a moralistic reminder, or as a supportive power and community, or as a social connection point. The core belief is that Nusir, the Mother, the conceiving energy, had arranged the heavenly bodies for her own enjoyment. Having completed this arrangement she still felt unsatisfied, and thought that perhaps her desire was not reward, but sensation. In searching her newly formed heavens, she came upon a silver Gal shell and broke it in two to eat the meat within (the two halves of it - the silver outer shell, and the reddish inner membrane - represent the moons). In eating its flesh, she swallowed its pearl unknowingly, and by it became pregnant. Realizing she was to give birth, she settled down on the hard rock of Ul-Zaorith, trying to find a place to have her children. In her throes of labour, she kicked up the mountains and pounded down the deep places where the oceans would someday lie, and so by creating life, created the shape of the world. The first born was Irtem, symbolizing the breaking of her water, and that water filled the world with rivers and oceans and lakes. The second born was Caynu, who gave heat into the world, forming the membrane that would seal in the atmosphere around the planet. The third born was Sirth, breathing air into the world, born singing. The fourth was Huvag, who drew moss and grass from the hard unyeilding rock, bringing plantlife into the world with his presence. But Nusir was still in great agony, and her newly born god-children could see that there were more to come, and so did their all to soothe her. Irtem brought the first rains to wash away her birth-blood and cool her. Caynu kept her warm, drawing heat from other places in the world, and thus instigating the seasons. Sirth blew the first winds to draw away the constant heat, to spread about the rains, to make the flowers dance as she danced. Huvag coaxed some of his flowers and plants to focus their love for the Mother and grow large enough to shade her, to offer her shelter, and so created the trees. And by these efforts to help and coax, soothe and protect, the twins were born: Ætir, bringing light into the world, and then, Ohmvohs bringing darkness, and so were created the cycle of day and night. But the strain was too much for Nusir, and as Ohmvohs was pushed from her womb, life left her. The blood fell from her womb in seven drops - each springing to life as a Dragon God, and as her spirit sprang free, seven of her tears fell to the ground and sprang up as the Cassan Gods. Above, Thadlan (the name of the Gal shell, and so the element of the moons), wept all the stars into the sky for her death. Because the Mother had died, so too could mortals die, and thus are rejoined with her in death in the Realm of Leddania - the Beyond. Nusir is therefore not prayed to, but remembered, blessed and mourned dependant on festivals and holidays. She is one who came before, the eternal parent, the life-giver and the purity of sacrifice for the good in the world and the desire to leave something good behind. The dogmas of Nusala are therefore an effort to leave an ultimate good through the act of living, to create and give, with emphasis on equality, charity and compassion. There was never a holy war over the concepts of Nusala. Cassan: The Cassan Gods are the gods of society, the 7 sprung from Nusir's dying tears. These Gods are very much alive, lesser Gods though they may be. They govern in the Realm of Peolysia, and are the recipients of much mundane prayer. These are the deities who govern social interaction, work, prosperity, and social organization. The worship of the faith of Cassan is that of material focus, those who believe in the power of the secular rather than the ecclesiastic. They are those who pour their efforts into social change through active efforts - charities, philanthropistic acts, donations of works, buildings or goods to those in need. Their holy houses are the shelters and sanctuaries, the free tutor houses or recovery spas. Their actual preaching is minimal; they prefer to show through action their faith and so please their gods. The Cassan followers believe in a form of karma, called "Thalais", which is the very literal belief that if one gives whatever they can afford to give, they will receive that which they need. Although their sense of barter is spiritual via their gods, their physical community is very strong with a list of tallies for favours owed and paid, which can be called upon at any point of need. Obviously the Cassan faith is popular with merchants, the Rahva and government officials. They are also the ones to do the majority of trade with the Muzina because of their understanding of the barter systems used by their southern neighbours. Suasa: The Suasa are the six Elements, the first six children of Nusir, and the official religion of the Guild Sectors where they were said to have been born. Unlike the other faiths, where all gods are worshipped equally, in the Suasa faith, an individual takes one of the six as their prime. None of the Suasa deities are believed to be superior to any others, and so individuals are free to take preference with the one with whom they most identify without fear of insult to the others. While it is possible for an individual to worship more than one, and indeed there are holidays throughout the year in which worship to all six is required (such as during the New Years, marking their birth), it is uncommon for one to pick more than two - and never two that are in opposition, i.e. one cannot be chosen of Ætir as well as his polar opposite, Ohmvohs. The pairings are as follows: Ætir and Ohmvohs (light and darkness), Sirth and Huvag (Air and Earth) and Irtem and Caynu (Water and Fire). In the Guild Sector are the six Guilds, which are a combination of schools, temples, magic collaborates and social nebulas. Those who are allowed entry into these highly coveted organizations must display marks of the God they've chosen. These take the form of physical markings, i.e. naturally occuring mark of the God (such as a rune or sacred symbol), a natural scent of flowers for Huvag, or unnaturally blue eyes for Irtem, or an uncanny charisma for Caynu, or a heightened healing ability for Sirth; they can also take the form of miracles - being directly contacted by their god by saving from death, seduction by the deity, dreams or visions of them, or the Voice of God. Once interviewd and deemed a true case of being chosen, they become a Child of (the God to whom they are chosen) and are a part of the Guild until death. Children of the Guilds are unique in believing that rather than their souls passing on to be one with Nusir in the Beyond, they remain in the cycle of the world in the service of their god in the Realm of Fialysia with the Gods themselves. Ssajac: The Ssajac, or Dragon Gods, those born from the blood of Nusir, and the official faith of the Dragon Sector is the most cultish and arcane of the Suoro faiths. A great deal of their practices involve sacrifice, ritual, secrecy and mantra-style prayer. The Dragon Gods are those who govern forms of personal quality and learning. They are all considered equally important, though some are said to have more powers than others, able to intervene in another's affairs if they feel righteous in doing so. There is a lot of counter prayer, begging another Dragon to step in to intervene with wrongs believed to be perpetrated by a said Dragon's jurisdiction. The faith of Ssajac, partly because it is so strongly rooted to the Dragon Sector and therefore its people, and partly because of the intricate and extensive practises and beliefs, is almost always hereditary. Entire families will devote themselves to a specific Dragon, taking the task upon themselves to upkeep the appropriate libations and prayers, and any children they have will be spiritually given at birth to follow in the family tradition. In the Dragon Sector, there are seven cities that are in entire devoted to a specific Dragon, and occasionally others who are faithful to that dragon will immigrate to be closer to the heart of worship. These cities are the ones to whom yearly sacrifice are sent to be given to the gods. Nalhounin: The Nalhounin are the "Ascended" gods, basically saints who gained a lesser god's status. They are somtimes invoked, but are not usually worshipped unless in a cult. They do not have temples consecrated to them, but there are often talismans in their images. They are a reminder and bolsterer of courage and faith more than a source of power. The Nalhounin do not have corresponding Runes. Independant Cults: There are a few independant cults to specific gods scattered about Suoro, where the focus on a single deity (usually from the Cassan, Nalhounin or Nusala Gods). These cults have small numbers of followers, nearly no social impact, and in some cases can be worshipped alongside other more overt faith. The Gods: Nusala Gods: Nusir - the great mother, fortune, pleasure, comfort, release - Nusir is represented as an Old Sector suoro (said to be the oldest genetic form of the Suoro), and usually with a full-body aura to represent her supremacy and deceased status. Her holy symbols are the Vial of Sweat and the Gal Shell. Nusir features in very few stories or plays - with obvious exception of the Creation myth tales - but is mentioned, aluded to, referred to or praised in endless songs and poems. She has become a national symbol of unity, and her shell remains in the monarchy's crest to this day, while the vial has become the religious symbol of those worshipping Nusala. Teomves - bearer of the sword, sacrifice, suffering, martyrdom - Teomves was said to be the Goddess who rose up from the earth when Nusir's body decayed to ashes. She had no pantheon affiliation and had no real domains. She was a warrior Goddess, who rose up to bring the savage and wild Dragon Gods under control, bringing them into agreement and harmony with the other Suoro Pantheons. She led the domestic Cassan and the untamed Suasa against them, and they shook the world with their might. Eventually, she fell on her own sword to snap Maldahgah out of his chaotic frenzy, and because of her sacrifice and death, Maldahgah stepped off the field to mourn his lover. She went to join Nusir in the Beyond, another dead Goddess mourned but not worshipped. Teomves is now a beacon of defiance, of hope, and of righteousness to those under trial. She became the patron Goddess of the Slave movement, and was taken up by revolutionaries many times in history. She is depicted as wearing a dark cowl and bearing a shining silver sword. She is often shown with the rune of Teomves emblazened on her forehead - either in blood to show her as she was when alive, or in ashes to mark when she had died. Martyrs, when given a proper funeral, are trussed up in a dark cowl with the Teomves rune marked in ashes on their brown sot hat their souls will be safely ferried to Nusir instead of to the Realm of the Lost. Thadlan - the moons, universal balance, cycle - Thadlan, the combined entity of the Gal shell which broken in two became the moons. For the suoro, the Moons are one being, not two, a single soul spun between two halves of a physical self. For them, this represents the balance between male and female, life and death, between the pairs of elements, planet and heavens, manna weave and huskline. Because of the tension between the two halves of the soul trying to endlessly rotate them into position so that they can be rejoined, and endlessly failing, the generated energies pulls the tides, influences the crops and animals and people of the planet below. Understandably, the lunar calendar that is used worldwide is in Suoro called the Thadlan Mark. Thadlan, being a Celestial God - or a source of energy rather than sentient creature - is always depicted as either the Gal Shell or as it's two halves, occasionally with a pearl hovering between them. Unyah - Nothingness, void, emptiness - Unyah, another Celestial Deity, was said to be the emptiness into which creation came to be. Unyah is more than just nothingness - it is not a lack of something, but the balance to matter. It is the potential for possibility,t he space into which something can be put, intential emptiness. It is a popular concept for martial artists, musicians, dancers and monks. Unyah is an intrisitc part of Suoro philosophy and especially of the arts - negative space - intentionally leaving silence or black canvas or stillness to better excentuate the sound - to allow one time to absorb what is given and to better appreciate it. Unyah even has this purpose in suoro language, giving a distinct rhythm that cannot be explained as anything other than calculated pause for affect. Understandably, Unyah is never pictured, but represented by its Rune or the word itself in artistic script if needing to be discussed, otherwise by putting in that void, that emptiness, a placement of nothing, you invoke Unyah and it is represented. Kælthir - unity, perfection, enlightenment - The antithesis of Unyah, Kælthir is the final step after something has been placed, it has been worked, shaped, changed, grown, morphed, and finally - perfected. Kælthir is another Celestial deity, a sentience that allows there to be a finishing point in a world of transience and constant cycle. The presence of Kælthir, or course, cannot last long, and cannot force the world to stop, but in Suoro philosophy - it does. For a perfect moment it exists, everything is tuned to perfection, every act exact, every poosibility in line and the elements arranged so that a single moment of pure, unadulterated Kælthir is brought into the world. It is beauty, it is purity, it is an opus, a masterpiece, complete meditation, flawlessness. It is an often sought after state, and rarely actually achieved. The lover and bane of artists, the ideal of monks, the pursuit of sexual enthusiasts, the topic of eulogies. Kælthir cannot be depicted except by that which is perfect. However, in discussion, written simply or shown by its Rune, Kælthir can be approached. Cassan Gods: Aubiten - gifts, births, marriages, occassions, funerals C|æthi - giving, charity, the gift, forgiveness, peace Gelmoeth - youth, mischief, chances - Gelmoeth is the youngest of the Gods yet living (As Teomves who was born last is with the Mother in Leddania), and because of his own nature he never grew up. He appears as a youth just before the brink of manhood, about 17 Suoro years old. He is shown as a South Sector or occassionally Fan Tundra Suoro with a curly, sunny mop of hair, a mischievous grin and bare feet. He represents the carefree love of youth, the desire to play, the act of living in the moment, the creative mind of a child inventing his world, an outlook of naivety and joy, and a desire to have fun - even if at another's expense. Gelmoeth is the one cursed when children get into mischief, or when untoward accidents happen. The pranks of the world are his pranks. Getting angry at him is pointless, as he is the permenant youth - he will never learn his lesson, and life will always have tricks up its sleeves. All you can do is laugh with him and stay alert. Suvik - protection, foresight, prophecy Unyordy - Trust, support, Friendship Virthan - Home, Wealth, Work Y'niv - Suasa Gods: Caynu - fire, vitality, seduction, passion - Caynu is perhaps the most notorious seducer of mortals of any pantheon the world over. He has fathered more demi-gods by mortal women and instilled his seed into more mortal men than any other deity. The infamous Caithnes was one such example of Caynu's lust. Unlike many gods to whom seduction of mortals is a sport or in spite, Caynu honestly does enjoy it, and his never having chosen to take a partner in the pantheons has left him guilt free for his wanton love-making. Aside from his godly skill in bed, he instills those he beds with passion - for whatever they are passionate about. Any craftsperson, artist, creator, inventor, diplomat will have a stroke of brilliance after being touched by Caynu. Thus, a great deal of arts and projects begin with: "Açæulanyian a Caynu'sæ" or "I dedicate this to Caynu" in Eighth level etiquette. Sirth - wind, harmony, love - Sirth is one of the gentlest deities of the Suoro Pantheons. She is the sort of love that manifests as loyalty, faith and compassion. She is a beloved deity of pacifists, nurses, parents, Irtem - water, healing, life Huvag - earth, stability, strength Ætir - light, manna weave, success, good luck Ohmvohs - bad fortune, failure, darkness, huskline Ssajac Gods: Aynus - wisdom, patience, training, respect Ogvuh - justice, law, memory, obedience Eogvil - divinity, honour, pride, manipulation Maldahgah - destruction, chaos, base desires, strife Luvkæ - hidden talents, potential, secrets, channelling energy Dækhnas - the dark knowledge, fate, that which is to come, intuition Roth - magic, night, death, dreams Nalhounin: Belbeten - Dartossen - Category:Suoro Category:Faiths Category:Eastern Continent Category:Deities Category:Pantheons